Electric-light-circuit protector.



No. 75 ,025. PATENTBD MAR. 29, 1904:.v I

S. KALB'ACH. ELECTRIC LIGHT CIRCUIT PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION rum) MAY 12; 1902.

no MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented March 29, 1904. 1

PATENT OFFICE.

STANLEY KALBAOH, OF WILDWOOD, NEW JERSEY.

E LEC TRIC-LIGHT-CIRCUIT PROTECTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 756,025, dated March29, 1904.

Application filed May 12, 1902.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I. STANLEY KALBACH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Wildwood, in the county of Cape May and State of New Jersey,have invented a new and Improved Electric-Light-Circuit Protector, ofwhich the following-is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to electric-light-circuit protectorsthat is, tomeans for preventing interruption in the current fed to electric lampscaused by the disorder of one of the lamps.

It frequently happens where electric lamps, and more particularlyarc-lamps, are operated together in series that if the circuit of onelamp be left open it will have the effect of stopping the action ofother lamps. It has been found by experience that most of the annoyancecaused by electric lamps upon the street is due to the electric-lightleads. Much trou ble'of this kind is obviated by my device.

. Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part ofthis specification, in which the figure shows my invention as applied toan outdoor post of the kind used at the intersection of streets in acity.

The post 1 is provided with an arm 2, this arm being supported by abrace 3, substantially in the usual manner. The insulators 4 5 and thesuspension-cord 6 are of the usual pattern. The arc-lamp is shown at 7.From a source of electrical supply 8 a wire 9 leads to the plate 10. Tothis plate are connected the two wires 11 12. The wire 12 is connectedwith the electromagnet 13, and from this magnet a wire 14: leads to themetallic plate 15. From this plate the electrode 16 leads to the lamp,and from the lamp another electrode 17 leads to the binding-post 18,which is connected with the wire 19 and through the medium of this wireto the arc-lamps 20, 21, 22, and 23, and thence by return-wire 24: backto the source of electricity 8. The wire 11, which is connected with themetallic plate 10, as.

above mentioned, is also connected with a resistance 25, this resistancebeing connected by a wire 26 with the armature 27 of the electromagnet13. A contacthook 28 is disposed above the armature 27 and serves as alimiting- Serial No. 106,883. '(NomodeL) stop for the upstroke of thesame. A spring 29 serves as a tension member for restricting thearmature 27 and this spring is adjustable by means of the threaded nut30 in substantially the same manner as the spring of'a telegraphicsounder.

The operation of my device is as follows:

The current from the source of electricity flows through the wire 9 toplate 10, thence through wire 12 to magnet 13, thence throughwire 14:,plate 15, electrode 16, lamp 7, electrode 17, binding-post 18, wire ,19,lamps 2O 21 22 23, and wire 24 back to the source from whence itstarted. This energizes the magnet 13, causing the armature 27 to bedrawn downward contrary to the tension of the spring 29. The apparatusremains in the position described so long as the lamp 7 burns properly.If, however, either of the electrodes 16 or 17 is broken or the carbonsof the lamp are misplaced or for any other reason the circuit throughthe lamp is left open, the magnet 13 immediately relaxes the armature27, which is thereupon drawn by the spring 29 into contact with the book28. .The current from the plate 10 now flows through wire 11, resistance25, wire 26, armature 27, hook 28, binding-post 18, wire 19, lamps 20 2122 23, wire 24, source of electricity 8, and wire 9 back to plate 10,thus completing the circuit.

It will be noted that an accident to lamp 7 does not interfere with theproper operation of the other lamps, even though the lamps be allconnected in series. I

The resistance 25 should preferably be equally balanced against theresistance offered by the magnet 13, the lamp 7, while in action, andthe electrodes 16 17. For this purpose any resistance may be used, andof course the same may be rendered variable, if desired. The circuit canbe tested at any time through the metallic plates 10 and 15. It will benoted that the resistance is thrown into circuit at the same instantwhen the electromagnet and the lamp are thrown out of circuit.

By use of the apparatus above described much annoyance and danger may beobviated. Where electric lights are used in large cities, it frequentlyhappens that on stormy nights a lamp may become disabled, and thiscauses I00 other lamps to give trouble or to be extinguished. It may notbe convenient for a line man to repair the lamp or to attend to thetrouble, from which it follows that a considerable number of lamps maybe thrown out of action by a cause otherwise trivial. By my system suchannoyance may be avoided.

When the break is repaired or the trouble obviated, the circuit isautomatically restored to its normal condition, so that the apparatus isready for immediate usethat is to say, the path through the wire 11,resistance 25, wire 26, armature 27, and contact-hook 28 now becomes thepath of highest resistance, so that the greater portion of the currentpasses through the magnet13, electrodes 16 17 and lamp 7 therebyenergizing themagnet and opening the shunt-circuit through theresistance and thearmature. The fact that the normal circuit isself-restoring constitutes a considerable advantage, because the linemanor repairer merely repairs the break per se or obviates the localtrouble and gives himself no concern as to the path of the current.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters'Patent The combination with an electric circuit,

and a plurality of arc-lamps in series in the circuit, of a protectorfor each lamp and its source of supply, a support for each lamp andprotector, said protector being located between the support and the lampand independent of the lamp and connected with the lamp by electrod'es,said protector comprising an electromagnet with which one of thecircuitwires is connected, a pivoted armature for the magnet, abinding-post with which the other circuit-Wire is connected, said postbeing provided with a contact extending into the path of the armature,one of said electrodes being connected with the lamp and magnet and theother with the lamp and binding-post, and a resistance connected withthe armature and with the circuit-wire with whichthe magnet isconnected, the resistance being proportioned to shunt enoughcurrentthrough' the magnet to operate it when the lamp-circuit iscomplete.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

- STANLEY 'KALBAGH.

Witnesses:

W. G. BAKER, F; C. TRUAX.

